Salt * Wet * Fish

Interestingly, ST have an article about why S. Africa allowed same-sex marriage. Perhaps if Singaporeans had to go through discriminatory laws against them, they be more supportive of repealing 377A.

…the Constitutional Court declared the sodomy law unconstitutional because it ‘invaded the protected rights to equality, to privacy and to dignity’.

Why S. Africa allowed same-sex marriage

A LESSON: Justice Sachs said that from apartheid, people knew what it was like to be discriminated against.

SOUTH Africa became the fifth country in the world to recognise same-sex marriages last year.

Having had rights denied during the apartheid era, which lasted for more than four decades from 1948, the country wanted to ensure there was equality for all, including those who were gay or lesbian, South African Constitutional Court judgeAlbie Sachs said yesterday during a panel discussion on family law at the International Bar Association’s conference here.

‘Because of apartheid, the majority knew what it was like to be discriminated against because of who you were, not what you’ve done,’ he told The Straits Times.

‘And people who suffered discrimination could understand how others would feel.’

During the panel discussion, South African lawyer Zenobia du Toit outlined the legal developments marking those changes. In 1996, South Africa became the first nation with a Constitution that forbade discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation.

This formed the basis for subsequent court decisions on issues like allowing same-sex partners to jointly adopt children. In November last year, a law on same-sex marriage came into force.

Asked about a bid by some groups here to get the Government to repeal a law criminalising gay sex, Justice Sachs said he did not have advice for Singapore.

But he explained that in South Africa’s case, the Constitutional Court declared the sodomy law unconstitutional because it ‘invaded the protected rights to equality, to privacy and to dignity’.

GOH CHIN LIAN